Iron ore is an important natural resource and may comprise the world's most commonly used metal. Iron may be extracted from iron ore and used in a variety of commercial applications, including the manufacture of steel. Typically, iron extraction from iron ore results in a “tailings” byproduct. This tailings byproduct still includes valuable iron that was not conventionally recovered primarily due to economic factors. Instead, this tailings byproduct was considered waste generated by mining operations. As one example, the Mesabi Iron Range is the largest of four major iron ranges in Minnesota and is the chief deposit of iron ore in the U.S. Discovered in 1866, mining operations at the Mesabi Iron Range have resulted in a large quantity of tailings byproduct. Typically, the tailings byproduct includes between 15 to 55% iron.
What is needed is a process to recover iron from an iron ore tailings byproduct, to reduce the amount of waste from mining operations, and to provide a valuable resource for the economy.